Updated

A former member of the National Labor Relations Board is returning to work at the AFL-CIO, where he will serve as co-general counsel.

Craig Becker spent nearly two years on the board after President Barack Obama bypassed the Senate to make him a recess appointee in 2010. Republicans had blocked Becker's confirmation for months, saying he had had a radical, pro-union agenda that was hostile to business interests.

In the days before Becker's term expired last year, the board issued new rules to speed the pace of union elections. The new rules were suspended after a court found a flaw in how they were adopted.

Becker had worked as a lawyer for both the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union before being named to the labor board.